super pitcher

Our kid's been busy

Here's Kieran in GQ with a fascinating peek into the world of  looksmaxing - a subculture of fanatical physical and physiognomic self-improvement based around medically dubious practices and products, preying on the insecurities of young men, a lifestyle that can become addictive. 

A New York Times piece on "ragebait" games - climbing games that are impossibly challenging and dash the player's hopes time and time again, seemingly designed for frustration addicts. 

An earlier Times piece investigating the subculture of "speedrun" Minecraft

Article for Dazed on "brainrot humour" taking over the internet

Also at Dazed, a piece about an alt-right music movement

A profile of fried-rapper Lazer Dim 700 for Pigeons + Planes

For Nina, a look-back over the first half of 2024's music delights 

At Pitchfork, reviews of albums by Syzy and Xaviersobased and YhapoJJ

And a live report on Nettspend for No Bells.

Never Mind The Ballards - talking sonic fiction July 17

I'll be making a guest appearance at the Sci-Fi Short Story Club, discussing "The Sound-Sweep" - one of a couple of acutely imaginative tales involving music of the future dreamed up by J.G. Ballard.

The event, hosted by Los Angeles Public Library, is loosely tied to Futuromania - which features a extended essay about the ways in which science fiction writers have grappled with the challenge of imagining the future forms and functions of music.  So in addition to "The Sound-Sweep" and Ballard's work, the discussion will encompass the broader subject of the interface between s.f. + music

The book club meets by Zoom, so I can see no reason why - beyond issues of time zone differences -  someone who doesn't live in LA could attend, if they fancied. 

This free event takes place at 6 pm PDT, on Wednesday July 17th. 

Reading J.G.'s 1960 story in advance is helpful if you wish to participate in the discussion, but not essential. 

Sign up here. 

necro-retro-futuro

Here I am chatting with Andrew Keen for his show Keen On - about Futuromania, future-music, AI, and the intersection of science-fiction technology and retro culture - what you might term  (well, what I did term - a trial run for a coinage) necro-futurism.

I had a great chat with Andrew about a dozen years ago when Retromania came out - that time I went round to his HQ in San Francisco, sitting in a TV-style studio - so it was cool to bookend with this conversation, albeit this time done remotely. 

World's feeblest "hooray" at the news that Keir Starmer has been appointed head of Delivery at GBC.

Shame he's such an uninspiring figure - that voice, that cadence. 

Shame too that Labour's policy "offer" (such a visionless term) is so modest. 

Pure joy, of course, to see the Tories ejected at last, in such large and specifically humiliating numbers. 

I suppose having some sensible, service-minded people in charge of things is a big improvement.

But the U.K. - the world - needs more than capable administration of the status quo. 

                                                "In a small country, dreams are filed away".